Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Behavioral health workforce
Veterans Health Care: Efforts to Hire Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselors and Marriage and Family Therapists
Describes efforts taken by the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) to promote the hiring of licensed professional mental health counselors (LPMHC) and marriage and family therapists (MFT) at Department of Veterans Affairs' facilities. Examines the extent to which VA medical facilities are employing LPMHCs and MFTs and how their recent employment compares with other mental health professions. Discusses considerations regarding the availability of LPMHCs and MFTs in rural communities.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 03/2022
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
view details
Describes efforts taken by the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) to promote the hiring of licensed professional mental health counselors (LPMHC) and marriage and family therapists (MFT) at Department of Veterans Affairs' facilities. Examines the extent to which VA medical facilities are employing LPMHCs and MFTs and how their recent employment compares with other mental health professions. Discusses considerations regarding the availability of LPMHCs and MFTs in rural communities.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 03/2022
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
view details
Mental Health in Rural Areas
Policy position paper focused on mental health in rural areas. Discusses barriers and policy recommendations regarding the availability, access, and acceptability of mental health care in rural communities.
Author(s): Brenda Mack, Heather Whetsell, Janessa M. Graves
Date: 02/2022
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
view details
Policy position paper focused on mental health in rural areas. Discusses barriers and policy recommendations regarding the availability, access, and acceptability of mental health care in rural communities.
Author(s): Brenda Mack, Heather Whetsell, Janessa M. Graves
Date: 02/2022
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
view details
Meeting the Behavioral Health Needs of Farm Families in Times of Economic Distress
Offers strategies to support development and integration of behavioral health services across healthcare and community-based organizations, including leveraging payment systems to support coordinated care for farm families and aligning federal grant programs to address mental health and substance use disorders. Features recommendations including integrating primary and behavioral care for initial treatment of mental health and substance misuse concerns, expanding the workforce to improve rural behavioral health services capacity, increasing telehealth services, and expanding private and public insurance coverage.
Author(s): Andrew F. Coburn, Alva O. Ferdinand, Alana Knudson, et al.
Date: 02/2022
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute Rural Health Panel
view details
Offers strategies to support development and integration of behavioral health services across healthcare and community-based organizations, including leveraging payment systems to support coordinated care for farm families and aligning federal grant programs to address mental health and substance use disorders. Features recommendations including integrating primary and behavioral care for initial treatment of mental health and substance misuse concerns, expanding the workforce to improve rural behavioral health services capacity, increasing telehealth services, and expanding private and public insurance coverage.
Author(s): Andrew F. Coburn, Alva O. Ferdinand, Alana Knudson, et al.
Date: 02/2022
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute Rural Health Panel
view details
Training Psychiatrists in New Mexico: Reflections from Psychiatry Residents Who Participated in a Rural Track Versus a Traditional Program Alone over the Past Decade
Presents results of a survey of 74 University of New Mexico psychiatry residents, comparing responses from those who participated in the school's Rural Psychiatry Track (RPT) to non-RPT residents. Describes the experiences of the residents and the RPT program's impacts on the likelihood of residents moving into rural practice.
Author(s): Cynthia Killough, Erin Rush Ortegon, Rahul Vasireddy, et al.
Citation: Academic Psychiatry, 46, 470-474
Date: 01/2022
view details
Presents results of a survey of 74 University of New Mexico psychiatry residents, comparing responses from those who participated in the school's Rural Psychiatry Track (RPT) to non-RPT residents. Describes the experiences of the residents and the RPT program's impacts on the likelihood of residents moving into rural practice.
Author(s): Cynthia Killough, Erin Rush Ortegon, Rahul Vasireddy, et al.
Citation: Academic Psychiatry, 46, 470-474
Date: 01/2022
view details
Assessment of the Capacity of Virginia's Licensed Behavioral Health Workforce
Provides statewide and locality-specific data on the capacity of each of Virginia's licensed behavioral health (BH) professional types, data regarding Virginia's pipeline to produce more BH professionals, current demand for them, and the consequences of an inadequate supply. Features county-level maps showing distribution of psychiatrists, psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioners, licensed clinical psychologists, licensed clinical social workers, and licensed professional counselors, and a map showing Virginia Mental Health Professional Shortage Areas with limited broadband service.
Date: 01/2022
Sponsoring organization: Virginia Health Care Foundation
view details
Provides statewide and locality-specific data on the capacity of each of Virginia's licensed behavioral health (BH) professional types, data regarding Virginia's pipeline to produce more BH professionals, current demand for them, and the consequences of an inadequate supply. Features county-level maps showing distribution of psychiatrists, psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioners, licensed clinical psychologists, licensed clinical social workers, and licensed professional counselors, and a map showing Virginia Mental Health Professional Shortage Areas with limited broadband service.
Date: 01/2022
Sponsoring organization: Virginia Health Care Foundation
view details
The Regional Distribution of Psychiatric Residency Positions Funded by the Department of Veterans Affairs and Its Relationship to Rural Veteran Populations
Details a study on the geographic distribution of psychiatry residency positions funded by the VA from 2014-2020. Breaks down data by residency locations, positions available, and rural versus urban areas served, among other measures.
Author(s): Matthew Vincenti, Anthony Albanese, Edward Bope, Bradley V. Watts
Citation: Academic Psychiatry, 46, 435-440
Date: 2022
view details
Details a study on the geographic distribution of psychiatry residency positions funded by the VA from 2014-2020. Breaks down data by residency locations, positions available, and rural versus urban areas served, among other measures.
Author(s): Matthew Vincenti, Anthony Albanese, Edward Bope, Bradley V. Watts
Citation: Academic Psychiatry, 46, 435-440
Date: 2022
view details
Nebraska Rural Health Advisory Commission's Rural Health Recommendations
Identifies some of the major rural health issues in Nebraska and proposes recommendations to address them. Examines health workforce shortages, behavioral health issues, and the effect of COVID-19 on the Nebraska rural healthcare systems.
Date: 12/2021
Sponsoring organization: Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services
view details
Identifies some of the major rural health issues in Nebraska and proposes recommendations to address them. Examines health workforce shortages, behavioral health issues, and the effect of COVID-19 on the Nebraska rural healthcare systems.
Date: 12/2021
Sponsoring organization: Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services
view details
How is the Mental Health Workforce in Texas Distributed?
Report showing the distribution of the mental health care workforce in Texas. Includes a county-level breakdown of the ratio of mental health providers per 100,000 people as well as which counties have no mental health provider. Discusses distribution as a contributor to the mental health workforce shortage.
Date: 11/2021
Sponsoring organization: Texas Health and Human Services
view details
Report showing the distribution of the mental health care workforce in Texas. Includes a county-level breakdown of the ratio of mental health providers per 100,000 people as well as which counties have no mental health provider. Discusses distribution as a contributor to the mental health workforce shortage.
Date: 11/2021
Sponsoring organization: Texas Health and Human Services
view details
Utah's Mental Health Workforce 2021: A Study on the Supply and Distribution of Clinical Mental Health Counselors, Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists, and Psychologists in Utah
Discusses mental health provider demographic changes, practice characteristic changes, and projections for the future supply of Utah's mental health workforce. Offer policy recommendations for strengthening the rural mental healthcare workforce, and features statistics including county-by-county distribution of mental health professionals, with breakdowns by urban, rural, and frontier locations,
Author(s): Sydney Groesbeck, Jerry Bounsanga, Andrew Salt, Clark Ruttinger
Date: 11/2021
Sponsoring organization: Utah Health Workforce Information Center
view details
Discusses mental health provider demographic changes, practice characteristic changes, and projections for the future supply of Utah's mental health workforce. Offer policy recommendations for strengthening the rural mental healthcare workforce, and features statistics including county-by-county distribution of mental health professionals, with breakdowns by urban, rural, and frontier locations,
Author(s): Sydney Groesbeck, Jerry Bounsanga, Andrew Salt, Clark Ruttinger
Date: 11/2021
Sponsoring organization: Utah Health Workforce Information Center
view details
MACPAC Response to Senate Finance Committee Request for Information on Behavioral Health
Summarizes the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission's (MACPAC) ongoing analysis of behavioral health in Medicaid and CHIP and offers policy recommendations. Discusses the behavioral health workforce; behavioral healthcare service delivery and access; mental health parity; telehealth; and improving access for children and youth. Includes rural references and considerations throughout.
Date: 11/2021
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
view details
Summarizes the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission's (MACPAC) ongoing analysis of behavioral health in Medicaid and CHIP and offers policy recommendations. Discusses the behavioral health workforce; behavioral healthcare service delivery and access; mental health parity; telehealth; and improving access for children and youth. Includes rural references and considerations throughout.
Date: 11/2021
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
view details